Insulating end post



Nov. 20, 1923 B. WOLHAUPTER INSULATING END POST Filed June 27. 1923. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3110M; f or j I BeI IjaminMZhdQ '1 Nov. 20, 1923 1,474,459

B. WOLHAUPTER INSULATING E N D P O ST Filed June 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATING END POST,

Application filed June 27',

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WVoLHAUP- TER, citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Insulating End Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, and more particularly to a novel improvement in insulating end posts for insulated joints.

The maintenance of ade uate insulation. between the rail ends in insu ated rail oints is an important factor in insulated joint upkeep, and because of its location, directly between the rail ends, the end post is sub-- jected not only to abrasive wear due to the movement of the rails under passing wheel loads, but also crushing pressure due to the wearing down of the rails and its confinement by the oint bars. Obviously, in order to maintain the efficiency of the joint it is desirable that any weaknesses be overcome as far as possible in the end post.

In new installations the end post is made perfectly to fit new rails: After the joint has been in use for some time the rail head becomes worn and the top of the'end post may or may not wear equally with the rail. If it wears unequally and less than the rail, the upper portion or head will gradually be driven down into the shank or web portion and will also press upon and cut the upper divided insulation between the head of the joint bars and the rail.' If a joint is of the type including insulation beneath the base of the rail, the bottom of the insulating end post may also press and cut into the base insulation. While this tendency to abrasion and destruction of the longitudinal insulation of the joint takes place under the ordinary wear of the rails, the most serious abrasion and destruction take place after the rails have become worn and .when a new end post is put in place, whichis very frequently done. a

In renewing the end posts on worn rails it is more desirable to make the top of the present type of end posts shorter than the height of the rail or to have the top edge thereof below the top surface of the rail,

but if so made, a small pocket or opening .will be left between the top surface of the rail and the top edge of the end post into 1923. Serial No. 648,173.

which a small piece of metal, metal chip, or a small wire nail could be dropped, and thus provide an electrical contact between the rail ends thereby defeating the purpose for which the insulated rail joint is designed. Therefore, it will be seen that the renewal of end posts is one of the most im-- portant phases of insulated rail joint maintenance, especially when the end postsare applied to rails of less than thestandard size or when applied to old rails worn'onthe head. a In such cases the end posts are not only destroyed themselves but destroy other insulation which is used with them.

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view the provision of a novel insulated end post which will avoid the difficulties above explained, and which is more or less collapsible, compressible, or reducible in thehead or the base, or both,

and which readily enables self-adjustment with the first wheel passing over the joint, or manual adjustment by a hammer blow, such adjustment being required on account of the worn condition of the rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide an. end post having a contractible or compressible portion and yet avoids leaving any openings between the ends of the rails which might form a pocket to receive pieces of met-a1 or other foreign matter likely to short circuit the joint.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists" in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of I a rail joint showing the application of an end post in accordance with my invention to a Worn rail, the worn head of the rail being indicated in dotted lines. Figure l is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the head portion ol the end post of Figure 3 contracted to meet the worn condition of the rail.

Figures 5 and 6 aredetail views illustrating modified forms of gore openings for the head portion of the end post.

Figure 7 is a detail view of a modification.

A distinctive feature of the present inven-- tion resides in the provision of an insulating end post having an adjustable or reducible portion, the adjustment or reduction being possible through the provision oi. suitable gore openings which permit of varying or altering the depth or height of either the head or foot, or both to relieve the complemental portions of insulation from undue abrasive pressure and rupture, and also to prevent the breaking or crashing down oi the shank of the end post due to forced contraction under the weight of passing wheel loads;

l Vhile the invention contemplates the use of gore openings of various terms and arrangements, a preferred and practical enibodiinent is shown in Figure l of the drawings wherein the end post designated gen erally as E, and made to lit a standard perfeet rail, has the head portion H thereot profurther vided with a plurality oigore openings 1,

the shank S and foot F of the end post being made in the usual manner. This type of end post may be used in connection with a jointincluding the angle bars B and the head and foot insulations C and D and by reason of the provision of the gore openings 1 in the head the mashing down or reduction of the head H under passing wheel loads will prevent the underside 2 of the head H from cutting into the head insulation C.

Referring further to the openings l which are provided in the intermediate portion of the head H, it will be observed that these openings are preferably relatively short elongated slots arranged in staggered. relation; and to further compensate for the reduction of the head without causing the same to bulge at the sides the opposite side edges of the head H may be provided with the compensating ker'ls 0. Also, to prevent the formation of closed pockets betweenthe rail ends at the openings 1 the said openings may be provided with a soft yieldingfiller of any suitable and approved material id such for example soft insulating material or parafiin."

A modification is shown in'Figure 2 of the drawings which illustrates the application of the invention to an end post adapted for use in connection with insulated joints of the continuous type, or other joints of: the rail base supporting type wherein insulation is required between the bottom of the joint and the base of the rail. In-this-Jfor'm of the invention the end post E has the plain head 1 meats H and its foot F provided with the gore openings at, inthe wings of the toot, and the central opening 5. Thesc'openings may be of generally formation which will enable the tent portion of the end post to readily yield or col.- lapse when subjected to pressure thereby to prevent the lower edge of the foot F from cutting into the base insulation D.

According to Figure 7 both the head H and toot F may be pro ided with the open ings 1 and 4t and 5 resp'ectiveiy. In this case the head of the post will yield and thus prevent the lower edges of: the head from cutting into the upper insulating strips at the head of the joint bar, and will. also prevent the transmission of pressure through the shank S to the foot. This form may be advantageously usedwhen it is desired to place a new end post between worn rails of different section and where the heads and bases are not in perfect alinement.

In connection with providing the "foot portion of the end post with the gore openings itmay be pointed out that this feature is of particular advantage when the post is to be used with a rail of lesser height or thickness in the base than the ordinary per- 't'ect rail. because in such an installation the horizontal base insulation below the base of the rail comes on a higher plane than insulation under the baseo't a perfect rail. in such a case when an endpost having a perfect or standard base is used, it will cut into the horizontal base insulation. and the latter will press the upper edge of the foot of the post upon and against the lower divided insulation tending to cut that also.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures?) and .4 of the drawings, wherein the end post E has the head H thereof provided with a plurality of an mend shaped openings whichprovide a compensating portion of extended area and of lattice like formation while the opposite side edges oi the head are recessed as at 7 to encourage lateral reduction of the head in wardly under pressure applieiil at the-top edge thereof. In Figure 3 the end po'stxis. shown ot normal size {or-a perfect rail and the dotted line H indicates the top surface of a worn rail with which the end post-is used. In other words Figure 3 illustrates a renewal installation wherein it isvery essential that the end post be so constructed asto avoid cutting into the longitudinal insulation strips beneath the head of the rail.

According to Figure. 4 of the drawingsthe end post E of Figure 3 is shown atterthe same has had the end portion H thereof mashed down flush with the top surface'of the rail R. Thedotted lines in this figure indicate't'he original height of the headl'rl as shown in Figure 3. As will be'seen from Figure 4 the openings 6 have been made rhomboidal or other angular lBO smaller by the contraction of the head H while the recesses 7 at the edges of the head have also been made smaller byreason of the contraction in the vertical height of the head H Still further embodiments of the invention are shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 of the drawings illustrates a form of head H which has gore openings 8 and 9 as well as the lateral compensating recesses 10. Figure 6 illustrates a form of head H having the lateral compensating recesses 11 and the central cut away portion 12, the upper edge of which is formed with a tongue 18 for engaging with a guide slot or socket 14: formed. in the lower edge of said opening.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that in all form of theinvention the head of the end post is provided with suitable openings and edge recesses to permit the vertical reduction of the head to compensate for varying depth of the heads of rails of different section, or worn rails, and as shown by Figure 2, the foot portion of the end post may be also provided with compensating openings to prevent abrasion or chafing on the insulation of joints of the base insulating type. 1

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that the changes in the form, proportion, and other details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulating end post having a reducible portion.

2. An insulating end post having a readv collapsible portions: permitting vertical reduction thereof.

5. An insulating end post provided with an area reducing opening permitting vertical reduction thereof.

6. An insulating end post including a head portion having openings permitting of the reduction of the head under pressure.

7. An insulating end post having a compressible head portion.

8. An insulating end post having a yielding and reducible head portion.

9. An insulating end'post provided with openings for permitting the top of the head portion to move toward'the lower edge of the head portion without lateral expansion.

10. An insulating end post having compressible means for preventing the crushing of the shank portion thereof.

11. An insulating end post having openings permitting the head to yield and prevent transmission of excessive pressure through the shank to thefoot thereof.

12. An insulating end post having a head portion provided with a plurality of openings for permitting the head to reduce vertically.

13. An insulating end post having a head portion provided with a plurality of gore openings, and kerfs at the sides of the head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN VVOLHAUPTER.

Witnesses:

E. K. KERSHNER, KATHERINE MONALLY. 

